


sick of losing soulmates

by bytheangelcastiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, M/M, destiel au, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-01-15 12:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12321363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bytheangelcastiel/pseuds/bytheangelcastiel
Summary: Dean has been losing people he cares about his whole life, and he's sick of it. So when he meets Castiel and then keeps meeting him, he can't help but worry everything will crash and burn, like it always does.





	1. Chapter 1

_"cuz i'm sick of losing soulmates_  
_so where do we begin_  
_i can finally see_  
_you're as fucked up as me_  
_so how do we win"_

__

:

__

Dean groaned as he tried to sit up. The pain in his lower abdomen was excruciating. He had just been on his way home from a shift at the mechanic shop he worked at every now and then. About halfway home he had run into that dick Roman who seemed to hate him for almost no reason. A guy who thoroughly enjoyed using his petty hate for Dean as an excuse to beat him almost every time they met. Dean was a good fighter, he always had been, but Roman was always one step ahead.

__

_Stupid._ Dean thought to himself. _You should have just taken the ride Bobby offered. Then none of this would have happened._

__

Dean managed to get himself upright and began working on standing up. The pain from the fight was starting to leave him and he didn't feel as terrible as he had a few minutes ago, but he was still struggling.

__

"Hello?" a voice called from the end of the alley.

__

Dean froze and looked up. Someone was standing there but he couldn't tell what they looked like. It was too dark and the streetlights had turned them into a silhouette.

__

"Hello? Is anybody there?" the silhouette was moving toward him now. Dean was finally standing. His heart was beating fast again. They didn't seem like a threat, but after what he just went through he wasn't willing to take any chances.

__

The silhouette reached him, standing a few feet away. In the little bit of moonlight and with the help of the street lamps Dean could make out the boy in front of him. His hair was dark, almost as dark as the sky above them. His eyes were blue, the bluest Dean had ever seen. Even in the darkness, they were shining with color.

__

The boy stared at him, tilting his head. "Are you alright?"

__

Dean looked down at himself. His hands had some blood on them and his knee was bleeding, nothing he couldn't deal with.

__

"Yeah, I'm fine."

__

"Are you sure?" the boy questioned. "I thought I heard fighting before and it sounded bad, but I couldn't come check. I guess I wasn't hearing things."

__

"No, really I'm fine. Nothing I can't deal with. And you might wanna work on your timing." Dean gave him the fakest smile he could and began limping out of the alley.

__

"Wait!" the boy called out after him. "You're obviously not fine. Shouldn't you be going to the hospital?"

__

Dean ignored him and kept walking. When he thought he was in the clear, he relaxed. He knew walking home in his condition probably wasn't the best idea, but he didn't care. Why bother the poor stranger, right?

__

He walked through the silence for a few minutes before he heard footsteps behind him. He tensed up again and tried to walk faster. The damage to his leg was certainly not helping him.

__

"Hey!" he heard a voice call out. Dean cringed when he realized it was the stranger from the alley. He had hoped the guy just dropped it and went home.

__

"Hey." the boy called out again, this time as he fell into step beside Dean. "Look, I know you're not going to take any help from me, I get that, but at least let me walk with you. I'd feel awful if something happened to you when there was something I could have done. I won't even talk if you don't want me to."

__

Dean shrugged. It was clear there was no getting rid of this stranger. Dean almost admired his persistence. "Sure, why not?"

__

The other boy nodded triumphantly and smiled at Dean. The two of them walked in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, just calm and quiet and Dean was grateful. He couldn't have handled feeling so uncomfortable for so long.

__

Despite the hot summer day it had been, the night brought along cool winds that had them both shivering by the time they arrived at Dean's street.

__

"This is me," Dean said as they turned up the street. The boy nodded.

__

"Well, good luck with everything. I hope you're less damaged soon." the boy gave him a small smile and Dean's gaze softened a little. He grumbled a quick thank you to the kind stranger before making his way up the steps and unlocking the door.

__

Dean tugged off his shoes and set them by the door before walking into the kitchen. His little brother was sitting at the table and he looked up from his book as Dean entered.

__

"Dean, what happened? Are you okay?" the younger boy asked. He abandoned his book and rushed to his brother.

__

"I'm okay Sammy. Nothing that won't heal in a few days." he ruffled his brother's hair. "Dad home?"

__

Sam nodded and pointed over to the living room. Dean peered through the door frame and saw his dad on the couch. As usual, he had a beer in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

__

"Dean are you sure you're okay? That cut looks pretty bad." Sam reached out and turned his brothers face to better examine the cut on his cheek.

__

"Sam I'm fine, I promise. I'm gonna go wash all this off and then I'll come back and you can give me all the ice packs you want." Sam nodded reluctantly and Dean smiled at his brother, ruffling his hair again.

__

By the time Dean got into the shower the water was hot. He had been examining his face in the mirror. Sam had been right about the cut on his cheek, it definitely didn't look good. Thankfully, it didn't seem bad enough to need stitches.

__

Dean stepped under the hot water and sighed. Sam shouldn't have to be worrying about him like that. No one should. He looked down and watched as the water tinted with red went down the drain. The hot water made the cuts on his body sting painfully, but he didn't change the temperature or make an effort to move away.

__

When he got back to the kitchen Sam had already fished four ice packs out of the freezer. Dean couldn't help but smile seeing his brother leaning so far to stick his face in the freezer, trying to spot if they owned a fifth ice pack.

__

"Sammy I think four will be more than enough."

__

"Well, you said as many as I want. And I want five." his brother retorted, his head still in the freezer.

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"I don't even think we own five ice packs, Sammy," Dean said moving closer to his brother.

__

"Ah-ha!" Sam shouted, removing his head from the freezer and shutting it. In his hands, he held a fifth ice pack that he handed over to Dean. "That should to it."

__

Dean pulled his brother into a hug. "You're too good to me kid. You shouldn't be worrying so much."

__

"I'm your brother, it's in the job description. Besides, I wouldn't have to worry if you stepped up your game and learned how to fight." Sam joked, getting into a fighting stance.

__

"Ouch Sammy, that hurt. Go back to your books nerd."

__

"That all you got?"

__

"Bitch."

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"Jerk."

__

Dean smiled at his brother. He reached out and messed his hair for the final time that night before leaving the room. He passed his father and said a quick goodnight before retreating to his room and collapsing on his bed.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone :)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this first chapter, I hope it wasn't too terrible.
> 
> It has been so long since I've written basically anything but a few months ago I got inspiration for this story, so I started writing and now I'm finally publishing it. I used to love reading and writing so so much, but for the past year or so I couldn't even fathom when I would have enough time to enjoy them (I had a lot of schoolwork last year). I'm hoping this story will be a kind of reset button and allow me to enjoy and improve on the things I used to love.
> 
> Please leave me any constructive criticism if you have it, I'm always looking to improve (pls be nice I'm fragile).
> 
> Aside from all that I do hope you enjoy this story. For me, it would be an honor to make you laugh or cry so please feel free to comment on anything.
> 
> Strap on your seatbelts kids, it's gonna be a long ride.
> 
> \- ari


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Castiel meet properly then bump into each other again, quite literally.

It was a sunny morning and Dean was not in the mood to be awake yet.

Sighing, Dean sat up and rubbed at his eyes trying to wake himself up. He felt stiff and his knee was still bothering him, but other than that he was okay.

Dean could hear Sam in the kitchen and despite his exhaustion, made the decision to go downstairs and help him make breakfast.

"Whatcha cooking in there Sammy?"  
Dean questioned, walking in on his brother.

Sam had taken out several pots and pans for no reason and was now rummaging through various cabinets and the refrigerator.

"We're out of eggs. And milk. And cereal. And food, generally."

Dean sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Alright, give me a few minutes and I'll go out and get some stuff from the store."

Dean turned around and made the walk back to his room. After quickly pulling on some clothes and his shoes, he grabbed his car keys and went outside.

The Impala was waiting in the driveway and Dean got in, turning on his music before getting on the road.

A few minutes later he was pulling up in front of a large grocery store. He grabbed a shopping cart and began walking through the aisles grabbing things he knew they needed.

After an awkward exchange with the cashier, Dean was out of the store and putting groceries in his trunk.

As he was closing the trunk, Dean heard a somewhat familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hey!"

Dean turned around and saw the blue-eyed boy from the night before. A blush crept up his face as he remembered how rude he had been to the kind stranger. The boy took a few steps towards him.

"I thought I recognized you, but I wasn't sure. How are you feeling?" the boy gave Dean a smile.

Dean returned the smile. "I'm fine, nothing too bad." Dean kicked at a rock on the ground. "Sorry I was so rude, I know you were just trying to help."

The boy shook his head. "No need to apologize. I understand we didn't meet in the best of circumstances." he extended his hand toward Dean. "My name is Castiel, Castiel Novak."

Dean smiled again and shook Castiel's hand. "The names Dean, Dean Winchester." the boys smiled awkwardly at each other.

"Well I better get going, my family is waiting for me." Castiel gestured towards a car halfway across the small parking lot. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, see you around Castiel."

"See you."

:

A few days later, Dean was sitting on the couch trying at pay attention to the movie he was watching with Sam. He was trying his best, he really did love spending time with his little brother, but he was just too restless. _I can't do this anymore._ Dean groaned and stood up.

"Dean, is something wrong?" Sam questioned, tearing his eyes away from the movie for the first time since it had started.

"Nah, I'm just going to get some fresh air." Dean ruffled Sam's hair before grabbing his shoes and heading out the door.

He walked for a few minutes, not entirely sure where to go, just knowing he couldn't be inside.

A few minutes later and he's on the main shopping street in town. He kept walking, watching other people pass. Their behaviors are guarded and their fears and worries concealed. Dean was getting lost in thought as he continued walking, not paying attention until he bumped into someone.

"Sorry," Dean mumbled as he looked up, locking eyes with a certain pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Dean!" Castiel exclaimed, smiling. "Funny how we keep meeting, it's almost like it's destiny."

Dean gave a short laugh before responding. "Nice to see you again too, Cas."

Castiel tilted his head and frowned in obvious confusion. Dean's face fell as he replayed what had just happened, trying to figure out how he had already messed this up.

"Huh, no one's ever called me that before," Castiel said curiously.

"Oh, uh, sorry I didn't mean t-"

"No it's fine, I kinda like it." Castiel smiled again and Dean relaxed. "Mind if I join you?" He gestured to the sidewalk in front of Dean.

"Sure, why not." the two of them walk in silence, side by side, the whirlwind of people of surrounding them unable to infiltrate their bubble of peace. They make it halfway through the park before either one of them speaks.

"So, how come I haven't seen you around? Did you go to the local high school?" Castiel asked.

"Uh, no. I actually moved here a few weeks ago. We move around a lot for my dad's work." Castiel nodded, not questioning it any further.

"So, tell me about yourself."

Dean gave a short laugh. "Like what?"

"I don't know, we seem to be meeting a lot, you never know when some information might be useful."

Dean tried to think. He suddenly couldn't remember anything about himself.

"Well, I really like cars. And I'm pretty good at fixing them up too."

Castiel nodded. "What about music? What do you like to listen to?"

Dean smiled. _Well, that's an easy one._ "Classic rock. What about you? It's your turn to share with the class." Dean smirked at his own comment.

Castiel shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know, I'm not a very interesting person."

"Come on, there must be something you can tell me. Like, what do you want to do after high school?"

Castiel glanced quickly at Dean before gluing his eyes back on the path in front of them. "I'm not really sure. This might sound dumb, but I've always wanted to do something that can help people. Maybe I'll study to be a doctor, but I'm not sure."

Dean looked over at Castiel. He was fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. "That's not dumb at all Cas, that's really cool." Castiel looked up and gave Dean a weak smile before looking down at his watch and stopping in his tracks.

"Uh oh, I have to get going or I'm going to be late for dinner," Castiel said.

Dean nodded. "Alright, I'll see you around I guess." He began to walk away, heading in the direction of his house.

"Wait!" Castiel called out. Dean turned around as Castiel moved towards him. "Here. Might as well have this if we're going to keep seeing each other anyways." Dean looked down at the paper Castiel had pressed into his hand. It had a phone number on it.

"Call me if you get bored." with one last smile, Castiel turned around and headed off in the direction they had come from.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John causes a trip to the hospital and Dean and Castiel meet once again.

Dean didn't call Castiel the next day. He'd thought about it, sure, but every time he went to dial the number, he got too nervous for a reason he couldn't quite fathom.

One night, while Dean was twirling his phone in his hands in the living room, his father stumbled through the front door, drunk.

Dean watched as his father ripped off his coat and threw it down. He was radiating anger and Dean wanted to get away as fast as possible. But of course, he had no such luck.

John stumbled into the living room and collapsed on the couch next to Dean.

"Get me a beer from the fridge would you son." his words were thick and slow, dripping out of his mouth like molasses.

"But dad-" Dean began.

"What did I say." his father spit back.

Dean was wary but did as he was told. His father grabbed the drink out of his hand and began chugging it down.

Dean was almost surprised by the situation. Over time, his dad had gotten better about drinking ever since the accident with his mother and usually only had a few casual beers during the week. He rarely came home completely drunk, but when he did, it never ended well.

"Dumb son of a bitch tried to cheat me tonight." his father shouted, his eyes filled with the kind of hate Dean only saw when he was drunk, or _really_ angry.

"Thought he could get it past me- well I showed him!"

Slowly and quietly Dean took a few steps back, but his father noticed and stood to grab his arms and make him stay.

"You listen to your father when he's speaking to you, you hear me boy?"

Dean nodded. His father let go.

"Then the bartender thought it was best to have security show me out! It was none of his fucking business!" in a moment of rage, his father flung the almost empty beer bottle at the wall above Dean's head. It smashed and glass rained down leaving cuts on his skin that felt like fire. A larger piece managed to get stuck in his arm right below the cutoff of the sleeve of his t-shirt.

When the moment had settled, Dean looked around at the glass and beer on the floor before his eyes slowly made their way to his fathers face.

It was evident that John had sobered up a bit and was looking around with the room with a blank expression, as though he was trying to avoid Dean's gaze.

By this point, Sam had heard the commotion and came out of his room to see what happened. He stopped short when he saw the mess in the room. John was still staring at the ground as he slowly walked out of the room, looking dazed.

When he had gone, Sam rushed to Dean's side, avoiding stepping on the glass.

"Dean, this seems really bad," Sam said gesturing at Dean's arm with the glass in it. It was dripping blood now. "I think you need to go to the hospital, you probably need stitches."

Dean shook his head. "Sammy, I'm fine. It's not even that bad." he moved his other arm as though he was going to try and pull the glass free but Sam stopped him.

"Dean, I'm serious, we're going to the hospital. This isn't something either of us can treat."

After a short argument, Sam won and Dean agreed to go, but only if be could drive.

When they got to the hospital Dean parked and they went inside. After finally getting an examination, the doctors pulled the glass out, stitched Dean up, and sent him on his way.

"Oh, before you go," said one of the nurses who had helped with Dean's stitches, "you'll probably want to take some pain medicines, with the stitches where they are it'll hurt like a bitch carrying things." she had a melodic Irish accent that Dean found himself liking. He gave her a small smile.

"Oh I think I'll be fine, it's not the worst I've had to deal with."

:

When Dean woke up the next morning his father was waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Dean, I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into me last night. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't mean to lose control." his father started.

"Dad, I'm okay. It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does." John looked surer of himself as he continued. "I promised you and Sam I would be better, and last night I broke that promise, I'm sorry." he moved forward and gave Dean a hug. Dean flinched when his father brushed the spot where his stitches are, but if John noticed, he didn't say anything. He let go and gave Dean a nod, seeing that his apology was most likely acceptable, and retreated back to his bedroom.

:

After a few days of sulking around the house, Dean finally called Cas.

Castiel answered on the second ring with a cheery "hello?"

"Hey, it's Dean."

"Dean! I was starting to think you were going to stand me up." Dean could hear the smile in Castiel's voice and he smiled back.

"Don't worry, I haven't known you long enough to get sick of you yet." Dean joked.

"Well, that's comforting," Castiel responded. "So how have you been?"

Dean thought back on the events of the last few days. "I'm fine."

"That's good. So I was thinking, wanna go to the diner for lunch later?"

Dean was startled for a moment by the abruptness of the question but quickly responded. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I'll see you around one. Bye Dean."

"Bye Castiel."

Dean hung up the phone and stood up. It was around ten so he figured he might as well take a shower. For some reason, it seemed as if the smell of the hospital was lingering on his body, though Dean knew he was just being paranoid.

The warm water hit the cuts that littered his skin sending sharp stabs of pain to each one, but once again, Dean didn't move from under the too warm water.

As the time for their meeting rolled closer, Dean fished his car keys out of the drawer of his bedside table and went outside.

It was warm and sunny and Dean stopped for a moment to let the sun warm his face. He smiled, thinking back to a summer he could barely remember, a summer before anything bad had happened.

When he arrived at the diner, he found Cas sitting in a booth towards the back. He smiled when he saw Dean and waved him over.

"Hey Dean," Castiel said as Dean slid into the booth opposite him.

"Hey, Cas. How have you been?" he asked.

"I'm great."

The waiter came and took their order, leaving them once again in an awkward silence.

"So we talked about ourselves a little the other day," Cas started, "but if we're going to be friends, we're going to need to know more."

Dean laughed at his bluntness. "Like what?"

"Umm, I don't know."

Dean thought for a moment. "What about, what do you want to do after high school?"

Castiel smiled. "Dean, we discussed this the other day."

Dean's face paled. He couldn't believe he had already forgotten. "I-I'm sorry, I forgot, but I remember now." he regained his composure and grinned brightly at Castiel. "You're going to be Castiel M.D. and save the world."

Cas smiled sheepishly, as though he wasn't used to these kinds of compliments. "All is forgiven. What about you Dean? What do you want to do after high school?"

Dean shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. His life plans suddenly seemed very dull compared to how Castiel wanted to brighten up the world.

"Well, I don't know. I never really planned on going to college. I figured I could work in a garage or start my own or something. My little brother Sammy wants to be a lawyer. I can tell he wants to study it really badly, even if he won't admit it. And he's smart too, really smart. If one of us is going to go to college, it should be him." Dean smiled as he talked about his brother. He remembered the first time Sam announced that he wanted to be a lawyer. He was nine and had come running into Dean's room ready to share his entire life plan.

Castiel listened to his ramble, nodding along. "Well you did say you liked cars, you should do what makes you happy."

"Yeah." Dean agreed quietly as the waiter came back and placed their food in front of them. After quick thank yous, they both stopped talking for a while and enjoyed the food. Eventually, Castiel picked up the conversation again.

"So, what's your family like?"

Dean froze. He wiped his hands slowly on a napkin, debating how much information was too much.

"Well, my brother is smart, as I mentioned. He loves to read. Always has his head in a book. He's a sweet kid, but he can be very witty at times." Dean looked down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "My dad is a mechanic but he works odd jobs every now and then. He's a strong man. Kind too even though you might not think it at first." he looked back up and saw Castiel tilting his head again. As though he was studying him. It seemed like a habit Castiel had no idea that he was doing, but it kind of made Dean uncomfortable.

"What about your mom?"

Dean looked down again. "She uh, she died when I was four."

He looked back up and saw Castiel's eyes grow wide. "Oh. Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry."

"Nah it's okay. It happened a long time ago. I was so young I don't even remember it happening, or her." that was a lie, of course, Dean remembered everything. He remembers waking up to the sound of his mother screaming. He remembers his father grabbing Sammy out of his crib and handing him over, telling Dean to get out of the house. He remembers his dad yelling and sobbing when he realized there was nothing he could do to save his wife, that he had to leave her and go help his boys. He remembers the sirens, god they were so loud. He remembers holding Sammy as he cried, trying to reassure him and keep him calm when all he wanted was to cry himself.

Dean closed his eyes for a moment and winced as the memory washed over him. Castiel raised an eyebrow at him and Dean shot back the best smile he could manage.

"I'm fine." another lie, of course, but it was his line. It was the line he had repeated in his head and out loud so many times it became his mantra. It was the line he had repeated his whole life until he began to convince himself that he was, in fact, fine. It was the line that had gotten him this far in life, and he couldn't let go of it now. No matter how much the boy sitting across from him made him want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)
> 
> With this fic, I decided I want to take a different look at characters who are usually portrayed in the same ways over and over again, including John, so prepare to see quite a bit more of him.
> 
> Sorry for that ending, I do love you all.
> 
> Next chapter features Sam so stay tuned.


	4. Chapter 4

Not long after his lunch with Castiel, Dean found himself sitting in the living room as his father explained to him and Sam that he was needed for a job by an old friend and that he would be back soon. John left them with some money and the Impala. He waved to them from his pickup truck as he backed out of the driveway. The two boys waved back as they watched their father slip into the distance.

After a quick dinner, Sam and Dean sat together in the living room flipping through channels. When Dean decided that there was nothing good on, he stood up.

"Hey Sammy, let's go do something."

His brother raised his eyebrows. "Like what?"

"I don't know." Dean thought for a moment. "What if we go play basketball? I remember we used to do that sometimes when dad left for a job." he smiled, remembering trying to teach little Sammy the correct way to throw a basketball.

Sam smiled. "Sure, let's go."

Dean drove them over to the local high school and parked in the back where the basketball courts were. Sam grabbed the ball and raced over to one of the hoops dribbling and swerving as though there were other players after him. He threw the ball and it flew up through the air until gravity did its job and pulled it back down a good two feet away from the net.

"Wow Sammy, you seem like you're getting rusty. I should have brought you out here sooner."

Sam made a face at him, but it only made Dean smile more. "I'd like to see you do better."

Dean's smile shifted to a smirk as he accepted this challenge. "You're on."

They played for a while, laughing and pretending to fight the whole time. Sam hadn't had his growth spurt yet so Dean had the height advantage, and he was teasing Sam with it every chance he got.

Dean stopped moving around the court and held the ball as high above his head as he could. "Hey Sammy, if you get the ball I'll give you a free throw."

Sam grinned at the challenge and began jumping around Dean, trying to knock the ball out of his older brothers hands.

"No fair, Dean. You're taller than me."

"Life isn't fair," Dean said, smirking at his brothers' defeat.

The two of them continued playing for a while until they were both too exhausted from the running and the laughing. They moved away from the courts and sat down on a picnic bench near the Impala. For a while, there was silence from the two of them, the only noise coming from the mechanisms of the nature encompassing them.

Dean broke the silence. "So Sam, how do you feel about starting high school?"

Sam gave a soft laugh and shook his head. "How do you feel about being one year away from finishing high school?"

Dean shook his head. "Hey, I asked first."

Sam smirked at him before his expression turned more serious. "I don't know, I'm not really sure what to expect. I guess I'm a bit nervous but isn't everybody? I guess it's just kind of crazy how everything feels like it's going so fast."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I'm stealing your words to answer the question you asked me."

Sam smiled and shook his head again. "Dean Winchester, refusing to talk about his feelings, what a shocker." 

Dean's head snapped in the direction of his brother. He had not been expecting that. "Wow Sammy, that was a bit uncalled for," Dean replied, pretending to be offended.

Sam shrugged. "It's true." he leaned in towards Dean, so he was looking him right in the eyes. "How come you never talk to me about real stuff? I talk to you about lots of things, but you never share back. It's beginning to feel a bit one-sided."

Dean dropped his gaze to his hands. He could feel his heart starting to beat faster. This was far from his favorite topic of conversation. "Oh come on Sammy, we all know you're the smart one here with all the interesting ideas. It's not like there's anything fascinating that's going on in my life that you're missing."

Sam's gaze doesn't waver from his brothers face. He watches as Dean avoids his eyes, favoring the table as a better view. His hands subconsciously fiddling with each other. "Come on Dean, there's really nothing that's ever happened to you that you could talk to me about?"

Dean thinks for a moment. His lunch from earlier that day with Castiel springs to the front of his mind. "Well, I met this new guy. His name's Castiel. We kept running into each other everywhere so we decided to give being friends a shot." he says without thinking it through. He hates to see Sam upset, especially when he's the cause. 

Sam smiled, relieved his brother hadn't shut him out again. "That sounds really cool." Sam suddenly smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Dean saying, "you sure the two of you are _just_ friends?"

Dean's face went slack for a moment and he glanced back at the table. Sam thought he saw Dean blushing, but it was getting too dark out to tell. "Sam, you know I don't swing that way."

Sam shuffled on the bench, uncomfortable with his brother's obvious shift in mood. "It was just a joke, it's okay. But you know I wouldn't care if you did."

It was Dean's turn to shift uncomfortably now. He eventually gave up and stood, making his way back to the car.

"Whatever. It's getting dark, we should go back home."

With that, the boys got back into the Impala and drove home as the sun set around them, turning the sky brilliant shades of blue, pink, and purple.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys take a trip to a fair, an outing that features some highs and lows.

"Why is the sun so bright?" Dean mumbled to no one as he woke up the next morning. Fighting the urge to go back to sleep, he stood and made his way slowly into the kitchen where Sam was once again surrounded by unused pots and pans.

"Why do you always do that?" Dean questioned, gesturing to all of the untouched kitchen supplies.

Without batting an eye Sam replied, "It makes me feel professional." his straight face made Dean smile at the comment.

"Well make sure your professional ass puts everything back, I'm not cleaning it up anymore."

Sam gave him a half-hearted salute and went back to cooking whatever it was on the stove.

A phone started ringing in the distance, further startling Dean out of his morning state. He rushed back to his bedroom to answer. When he looked at the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat.

It was Castiel.

He answered quickly. "Hey Cas, what's up?"

"Hello Dean, not much else is up beside the sky, and my ceiling," Dean swore he could hear Castiel smiling on the other end of the line.

"Well, it's good to know that they're still up there. Now, did you just call to give me those important facts?"

Castiel cleared his throat. "Actually, I was calling to let you know that there's a fair going on in the next town over. I was wondering if you and Sam wanted to go with me."

Dean brightened at the idea of having something to do. "Yeah of course, what time?"

"How about around five?" Castiel replied. "I can come pick up you and Sam."

"Nah it's fine, we can just meet there. I'm sure I'll find my way."

"But Deeeeaaaaaan." Castiel wined. "It would just be easier if we all went together. Plus, carpooling is more economically friendly."

Dean rolled his eyes. Of course Castiel would say that. "Fine, we can carpool."

Dean could imagine Castiel's triumphant smile as he said "great, I'll see you then," and hung up.

Dean made his way back into the kitchen. He grabbed some cereal, milk, and a bowl before turning to Sam. "Hey Sam," he began, "we're going to a fair later."

Sam scrunched his eyebrows, obviously confused. "What? Why?"

Dean took a few moments before responding. "Castiel invited us, he's coming by around five to get us, so make sure you're ready."

Sam nodded and gave Dean a big grin. "Sure thing, Deano."

:

At exactly five o'clock, Castiel pulled his car into the Winchesters driveway. Dean looked over at the kitchen clock and back out at Castiel's car. He muttered a quick "nerd" under his breath before calling out to Sam to get his butt downstairs.

Sam raced into the room in his usual jeans and flannel and peered out the window.

"Is that him?" he asked.

"No, it's a demon here to take you to the dark side," Dean said sarcastically.

"Well _finally _. I've been waiting for him to show for months."__

__Dean smiled and opened the front door. Sam ran outside and Dean locked the door behind them._ _

__Castiel stepped out of his car and greeted the younger Winchester brother. "You must be Sam."_ _

__The younger boy grinned. "And you must be Castiel." the two of them shook hands. Castiel turned to Dean and smiled._ _

__"Ah, so you've mentioned me, Dean."_ _

__Dean shrugged. Sam spoke up again. "Only a little, Dean doesn't like to get personal."_ _

__Dean shuffled his feet as an uncomfortable silence fell around the three boys._ _

__"Well, should we get going?" Castiel chimed in._ _

__"Yeah, let's go," Dean responded._ _

__Sam hopped in the backseat as Dean settled into the passenger side. Castiel put the keys in the ignition and the car came to life._ _

__After about fifteen minutes of driving, Castiel turned up a dirt road and pulled into a parking lot._ _

__"Well, we're here," Castiel announced._ _

__The three of them exited the car. Dean turned to see Sam's reaction. He was looking around with the most childlike excitement Dean had ever seen him have. His eyes were bright and he seemed to be barely containing himself._ _

__They made their way over to the ticket booth and bought a large stack of tickets to share._ _

__For a few hours, they walked around the fair, going on various rides. At one point Dean decided he wanted to play a game. He immediately found one called "The Strong Man" and promised Sam he was going to win him a prize._ _

__He grabbed the giant mallet and swung it down as hard as he could. The bell dinged and some of the people around them clapped. Dean picked out a stuffed moose and presented it to Sam, who grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning. He gave Dean a big hug and they all continued their walk around the fairgrounds._ _

__When it started to get dark, they passed the Ferris wheel for what must have been the hundredth time that night and made the decision to go on it. Since only two people fit in a seat, Sam offered to wait for them on the ground. Dean reluctantly agreed. Being up high wasn't one of his favorite things._ _

__When it was their turn, Dean and Castiel climbed into one of the seats and waited to be lifted up to the best view of the fair. When the ride started going Dean grabbed onto the railing in front of them tightly. The Ferris wheel went slowly enough that when they got to the top Dean had enough time to marvel at the view and how all the lights looked against the fading sunlight before they were back at the bottom._ _

__They went around a few more times before coming to a complete stop at the very top. Deans eyes widened as he looked down around them, for the first time noticing how high up they really were._ _

__Castiel could see Dean's expression and gently put a hand on his arm. "Hey," he said and Dean turned to look at him, briefly glancing down at the hand on his arm "we aren't going to die, they always do this. They're just letting someone else out."_ _

__Dean nodded and turned to look straight in front of him. As if it were some kind of subconscious response, Dean moved his whole body closer to Castiel, trying to get as far away from the edge of their seat as possible._ _

__When they were finally let out, Dean detached himself from Castiel and they met up with Sam._ _

__"How was it?" Sam asked._ _

__"Great," Dean responded with a blank expression._ _

__They walked around for a little while before deciding to just head home. All three of them piled back into Castiel's car and they started the drive._ _

__"So Cas, got any more wild plans for the day?" Dean asked._ _

__Castiel shrugged. "My dad is out of town and my mom won't be home from her shift until morning so I figured I would just see if there are any good movies on. Or maybe I'll read a book."_ _

__Dean nodded. "Hey, my dad isn't home too, and we don't really have anything to do either." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Would you maybe, uh, wanna spend the night at my- our- place? We can all watch bad movies together." he blurted out without completely thinking it through._ _

__He could feel Sam raising his eyebrows in the backseat, but he refused to turn around._ _

__Castiel smiled and glanced at Dean for a few seconds. "Sure, that sounds like fun."_ _

__Dean nodded and relaxed back in his seat._ _

__"We should get ice cream," Sam suggested. They all agreed and Castiel drove them to the nearest store._ _

__Sam decided to stay in the car while Dean and Castiel wandered the isles of the store. They picked up two tubs of ice cream and a bag of chips before heading back outside._ _

__They made it about halfway before Dean saw a familiar figure walking towards them. His whole body tensed._ _

__Castiel took a few more steps before he noticed Dean wasn't walking with him anymore. He turned around. "Dean, are you okay?"_ _

__"Well, well, well, what do we have here. Dean Winchester and his boyfriend." Roman said, a smug look on his face._ _

__Deans hand tightened into a fist around the bag. "He's not my boyfriend." Dean snarled._ _

__"Dean," Castiel started, "is this they guy wh-" Dean cut him off with a nod._ _

__Roman smirked even more if that was humanly possible. "Ah, so you've seen my work."_ _

__Castiel gaped at him. "You sick ba-"_ _

__Roman cut him off by taking a few steps forward. "Don't make me here for you too." he turned suddenly towards Dean and pushed him so hard he dropped his bag. Castiel put his bag down quickly and tried to help Dean. Roman had already punched him twice, but Dean was able to shove him off. Castiel ran over and got in between the two boys, but Roman pushed him into the brick wall next to them. Dean watched, helpless, as Castiel hit his head and dropped to the ground, clearly unconscious._ _

__The two boys went back and forth for a few minutes, the fight was not going in Dean's favor._ _

__Eventually, Dean managed to get the upper hand and elbowed Roman in the nose. Hard. He could feel the crunch as Romans nose broke. They both stopped for a moment in complete shock. Roman put a hand over his nose as blood started pouring out of it._ _

__"Screw you Dean!" he yelled before backing off and running back to wherever he came from._ _

__After a few breaths, Dean immediately turned to Castiel. He could see him moving and breathed a sigh of relief._ _

__He walked over and crouched down next to Castiel._ _

__"What happened?" Castiel whispered._ _

__"They guy who fought me that time when you first found me showed up again. You tried to get in between the two of us."_ _

__Castiel gave a soft laugh. "That was pretty stupid wasn't it?"_ _

__"Yeah I guess, but it was brave too."_ _

__Slowly, Castiel sat up and Dean helped him to stand. His arm was around Dean's shoulder, giving him extra support as they walked._ _

__"Wait, Dean, what about the ice cream?"_ _

__Dean almost laughed. "Castiel, that's not important right now."_ _

__"But we paid for it."_ _

__Dean rolled his eyes before going over and picking up the bags. The containers were still intact, which is one positive thing._ _

__They slowly made their way to the car. When they got close, Sam ran over to them, immediately taking the bags from Dean._ _

__"What happened? Are you guys okay?"_ _

__"It's okay Sammy, we'll live. Get back in the car. It'll all be fine."_ _

__Sam warily got back in the car, taking the bags with him._ _

__"Maybe I should drive, Cas," Dean said. Castiel nodded and handed Dean his car keys._ _

__Dean helped Castiel get into the car and the three of them drove off, not exchanging a single word the rest of the way._ _


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys deal with the aftermath of the fight and Dean and Cas play a game.

When they got back to the house, Dean told Sam to set up the snacks and get some movies out while he and Castiel took care of the aftermath of the fight. 

"Are you sure?" Sam asked. Dean couldn't help but notice that Sam looked very worried, his eyes wide with concern. He silently scolded himself for letting this happen.

"Yeah Sam, it's okay."

Sam looked down for a moment. "This never would have happened if I hadn't suggested we get ice cream."

Dean shook his head. "Sam, it's not your fault. None of us could have known this would happen."

Sam sighed and left them and Dean began helping Castiel out of the car.

"I'm okay to walk now," he announced and Dean nodded.

He led Castiel through the front door and into the kitchen where he instructed him to sit down at the table.

He began fishing ice packs out of the freezer. Placing them on the table in front of Castiel, he picked up a washcloth and ran it under the ice cold water from the sink. He started wiping at his face but Castiel stopped him.

"Dean, come here."

Dean did so and Castiel made him sit down, reaching for the washcloth.

"Let me."

Dean, knowing how stubborn Cas could be, decided it was best to hand it over. Castiel took it and leaned over Dean, beginning to clean the blood off of his face.

As he worked, he continued leaning closer to Dean, tilting his head to either side, trying to make sure he was getting everything off. Neither of them realized what was happening until Castiel had leaned in roughly three inches from Dean's lips. Both of them froze. Dean's breath caught in his throat as his eyes flicked over Castiel's face, landing back on his bright blue eyes. He cleared his throat and Castiel quickly moved away, dropping the washcloth on the table next to Dean.

He scratched the back of his neck. "I think you're all good now."

Dean gave a faint smile. "Thanks."

Castiel grabbed an ice pack and they went to meet Sam in the living room. The younger boy was sitting by the t.v. surrounded by DVDs. He picked one up. "We're watching this."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Back to the Future again? We saw that like, two weeks ago."

Sam stuck out his tongue. "I don't care, I like this movie." He turned to Castiel. "What do you think Castiel?"

Castiel's eyes suddenly widened at the responsibility he had been given, but his expression quickly melted into a smirk. "I'm going with Sam on this one. I happen to like that movie too."

Sam's hands flew up in triumph and Dean ruffled his hair. Castiel smiled at them as he sat down on the couch.

Sam put the movie on and they all got comfy, Castiel and Dean on the couch and Sam in the oversized armchair.

The movie played, but Dean wasn't paying all that much attention. His gaze was shifting between the screen, his hands, and Castiel. He couldn't decide what he wanted to pay attention to. However, it was evident that Sam and Cas were very invested, giving all the proper reactions to the events unfolding on the screen in front of them.

Towards the end of the movie, Sam fell asleep, exhausted from the days' excitement. Castiel and Dean finished the movie in silence and only moved one the credits started rolling.

Castiel turned to face Dean. "I don't know about you, but I'm not tired."

Dean nodded in agreement. He glanced at the clock on the wall. _12:06_. "What should we do?"

"Hmm." Castiel scratched the back of his neck. Dean had begun noticing how often he did that. "Maybe we could play a game or something?"

"A game? What kind of game?"

"Maybe we could play 20 questions? We can each ask each other 20 questions and you have to answer them."

Dean felt his heartbeat quicken. He usually went out of his way to avoid personal questions and here he was about to play a game filled with them. He tried to think of something else to do but the silence began to become overwhelming. "Sure, why not?"

"Okay, I'll go first. What's your favorite breakfast food?"

Dean relaxed a little. This was a good question. "Easy. Pancakes, but they have to be chocolate chip."

"They have to be?"

"Yep. Chocolate chip pancakes are the superior type of pancake."

Castiel smiled at his answer. "Okay, your turn."

Dean thought, tapping his hand on his knee.

"Favorite Harry Potter book? I'm assuming you read Harry Potter because even I read Harry Potter."

Castiel nodded. "I did. My favorite was the first one. I always like the first book in a series best."

"How come?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe because it's the beginning of an adventure and beginnings hold a world of possibilities." Castiel said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Wow, deep stuff. I guess what they say is true, conversations after midnight become profound real quick." Dean said sarcastically, but he was smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. My turn." Castiel pretended to smack Dean. "Favorite color?"

"Ooh, that's a hard one, but if I had to choose I'd say blue. Maybe green. What about you?"

Castiel paused for a moment. "I think mine is green, but I also like purple." Dean gave a small laugh and Castiel tilted his head, squinting his eyes. "Got a problem with the color purple?"

Dean smiled. "Nope, not at all, just didn't peg you for a purple guy."

They continued asking back and forth for a while, laughing at all their dumb questions and weird answers.

"First kiss?" Dean asked.

Castiel visibly tensed up, his gaze shifting down to the couch. Dean was worried he had struck a nerve of some kind, but then Cas spoke.

"I was fifteen at a party. My friend and I had wandered off by ourselves after a few drinks and he kissed me."

Dean's heart felt like it had leaped out his chest and he wasn't sure why. He smiled at Castiel. "Mine wasn't very glamorous either. I was thirteen playing spin the bottle at a friends birthday party. Me and the girl I kissed ended up dating for a little while but I broke up with her when she started telling people I got her pregnant."

Castiel looked up at Dean and gave a soft laugh, but soon he was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. Dean was shocked by his reaction, but he couldn't help letting out a small giggle watching Cas. Eventually, Castiel composed himself and spoke again. "I don't know what you mean by not glamorous. That's an amazing story."

Dean shook his head. "No, it's not. It was a terrible experience. I still get flashbacks sometimes. Anyway, it's your turn."

Castiel tapped his finger on his chin as if he was thinking really hard. "Biggest fear," he said finally, "you know besides heights." Castiel gave a small smirk.

Dean looked down. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't want to answer, but he knew Castiel expected him to. "I- I don't really know. I guess, being left behind. I don't know what I would do if everyone I cared about left me." He paused for a moment. "That was such a chick flick moment wasn't it."

He gave a soft laugh and looked up. Castiel's eyes had softened and he gave Dean a sincere look.

"No, I get what you mean."

Their game eventually faded to nothing and they gave way to the exhaustion that had overtaken them. The two of them drifted off to sleep together on the old couch, their heads on opposite sides and their legs tangled together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry It's been so long since I last updated I've been very busy lately but I'm off for Christmas break soon and I'm planning on publishing a few chapters in my time off so stay tuned :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Dean tells Castiel a story.

The next morning, Dean was the first one up. Despite the fact that his neck hurt from sleeping in an odd position all night, he felt more rested than he had in a while.

As quietly as he could, he started pulling out pans and various ingredients from their homes in the kitchen.

Sam walked into the kitchen just as he was finishing up. He smiled and sat down in the seat across from Dean's at their small table.

A few minutes later, Castiel walked into the kitchen to find Sam and Dean sitting at the table with a stack of pancakes between them.

"Morning sunshine."

Castiel smiled at Dean. "Chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes."

Castiel sat in between the two brothers and they all grabbed varying amounts of pancakes and syrup.

"Mmmmm. These are very good. I've never had chocolate chip pancakes before. I see why they're your favorite." Castiel said after taking a few bites.

Both of the brothers stared at Castiel.

"You've never had chocolate chip pancakes?" Sam asked.

Castiel shook his head. "My mom is a bit of a health freak. She doesn't believe in sugar for breakfast."

Dean scoffed and pointed a finger at Castiel. "Sugar is the only way," he said slowly, making both Sam and Castiel laugh at him.

"So Cas, how does your neck feel after sleeping on that couch?" Dean asked.

Castiel shook his head and then winced. "Kind of like someone snapped my neck and then tried to fix it but didn't do a very good job."

Sam and Dean glanced at each other before bursting out laughing. Castiel smirked and looked down at the table, clearly pleased with himself for making them laugh. 

When they all finished, Sam stood up and quickly went back to his room to escape doing the dishes.

"Hey, I know what you're doing Sam!" Dean shouted after his brother.

"You'll have to come catch me if you want me to help with the dishes!" Sam yelled back from behind his closed bedroom door. Dean waved his hand like it was too much effort and put all the dishes in a pile. He was about to stand up when Castiel put a hand on his arm.

"Dean, wait."

Dean slowly settled back in his chair. The look Castiel had on his face wasn't a good one and he was worried about whatever conversation he was going to have to endure.

"What's up?"

Seeing that Dean isn't going to run away, Castiel removed his hand from Dean's arm.

"Dean, what was that last night? Who was that guy that came after you?"

Dean looked down. This wasn't exactly a story he was proud of.

"Do you really want to know?" Castiel nodded.

Dean signed and rubbed his face before he started.

"I was fourteen or fifteen- I'm not really sure anymore- but we went to the same school. I was a freshman and he was a senior and I didn't really know him, but every now and then he would toss some insults my way. I'm pretty sure when he first started he didn't even know my name, but then he learned it and it got more intense. Nothing too bad, it wasn't anything I couldn't shrug off, but it was kind of weird. Anyway, I ended up making friends with this group of seniors and juniors. One of the girls in this friend group was his girlfriend, but I didn't know that. Her name is Lisa. So there was this party one night and they invited me to go and obviously I wasn't going to pass that up, so I went. The whole night Lisa was clinging on to me, I guess Roman wasn't there yet or something, but we spent most of our time together. Cut to much later into the party and quite a few drinks later, Lisa led me outside behind the house and started kissing me. We were there for a while before anyone saw us, and with just my luck, it was one of Romans friends. So I guess that part is pretty self-explanatory, but Roman had it out for me even more after that, in ways that got violent. We were both suspended for fighting more than once. Eventually, I decided enough was enough and I kind of trashed his car. Not beyond the point of repair, but it was bad. I ended up moving away a few days later so he never got his revenge. I guess the guy has a problem with grudges." Dean shook his head. "God, I was so stupid." 

Castiel had been listening closely and he met Dean's eyes when he finally lifted them from the table.

"Dean it's okay. What you did was definitely reckless, but that was years ago. It's in the past. You don't have to let those kinds of things define you."

Dean was still shaking his head. "I just never thought I'd see him again. If I hadn't done any of that none of this wouldn't have happened, and you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Castiel reached out and once again put a hand on Deans arm. Dean looked up at him. "Hey, you couldn't have known." he lowered his gaze for a second before bringing it back to Deans face. He wasn't sure how his next sentence was going to land with Dean. "But Dean, if you're in any sort of troub-"

"Cas, I'm fine," Dean reassured him. "I can handle it, okay?"

"Okay."

:

John came back home later that night. He was only staying for a few days before he had to go back on the road for another job, but while he was home he brought Sam and Dean fishing. 

They all piled into John's pickup truck and drove to the nearest lake.

"The three of us haven't done this in a long time," John said, almost as though he was thinking out loud. Sam and Dean grabbed the equipment while John took their cooler and led the boys to his favorite spot.

They got set up and sat back to wait for potential fish. They whispered jokes and stories back and forth for hours, trying not to disturb the fish. In the end, Sam was the only one who actually caught something, but it was so small they threw it back in. The lack of fish didn't bother any of them, they had talked like a real family again. For what felt like the first time in forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I'm sorry it's been ages. I haven't had much motivation lately but I'm going to try and publish this story more regularly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel takes care of Dean (again) and they watch another movie.

Once again, Dean found himself with a desperate need to clear his head. He hadn't spoken to Castiel since he had slept over and he was debating calling him to see if he wanted to do something.

As he walked, his head brought him out of reality as his feet subconsciously chose a path. He didn't see him until it was too late.

"Dean Winchester back so soon?"

Dean's head shot up and he saw Roman coming towards him with a smug look. Despite his expression, it was hard to take him seriously with the large bandage on his nose.

"Roman! I thought you'd at least want to wait until that nose job of yours was all settled. Wouldn't want to go ruining it again now would we?"

Roman snarled and shoved Dean against the side of a store, earning a few odd looks from people on the street.

"Let's take this somewhere a bit more private." Roman pushed him into the mouth of the nearest alley. Dean gave him a fake smile.

"How considerate of you, but after last time I'm surprised you're willing to risk your face again."

Roman smirked. "Well, I guess you could say this time I have a little help." he whistled and Dean could see two large men come around the corner of the alley. His facade faltered for a moment as they got closer and he recognized them as some of Romans old friends.

"Oh come on, don't you guys have somewhere better to be?" Dean called out. "You know college, work, prison."

The one on the left smirked. Dean couldn't remember his name. "Oh we're doing just fine, but thank you _so _much for your concern," he said sarcastically. The one on the right cracked his knuckles. Dean sighed and tried to prepare himself for the pain he was about to endure. It was no doubt going to end badly for him.__

: 

__What felt like hours later, even though Dean knew it had only been about fifteen minutes, he was sitting alone in the alley. He hurt everywhere and there was blood on his clothes, but it wasn't only his, a small victory on his part. There was a particularly intense pain in his right ankle._ _

__Dean moved to stand up, but he couldn't. There was something seriously wrong with his ankle. He tried again and his vision began to fade out. Realizing standing wasn't an option, he settled back down, leaning against the side of the alley and closing his eyes as he waited for the feeling to pass._ _

When he didn't pass out, he pulled his phone out and dialed Castiel's number. His finger hesitated over the call button. _What if he just gets mad that I dragged him into my problems again? What if he says he never wants to see me again?_

____Dean tried to stand again and when it didn't work, he gave in and pressed call._ _ _ _

____

____Castiel answered on the third ring. "Halla."_ _ _ _

____

____Despite the situation, Dean let himself smile a bit when he heard Castiel's voice._ _ _ _

____

____"Hey, Cas. Sorry to bother you about this, but I think I may need your help."_ _ _ _

____

____"What's wrong?" Castiel's voice was suddenly serious._ _ _ _

____

____"It was Roman."_ _ _ _

____

____There was shuffling on the other end of the line. "Dean, where are you."_ _ _ _

____

____"I'm in the alley between the ice cream place and the pharmacy on Main street."_ _ _ _

____

____"I'll be right there." the line cut off as Castiel rushed out the door to his car._ _ _ _

____

____Dean relaxed back against the wall and waited. In what must have been a record time, Dean heard a car parking and saw Castiel running towards him._ _ _ _

____

____Castiel crouched down in front of Dean and took his face in his hands, turning it from side to side to examine the damage._ _ _ _

____

____"We need to stop meeting like this," Dean said with a smirk and Castiel offered a slight smile._ _ _ _

____

____"Come on, let's get you up."_ _ _ _

____

____After a few minutes of struggling, Castiel was able to help Dean stand and get back to his car._ _ _ _

____

____"We should get you to a hospital," Castiel said glancing at Dean._ _ _ _

____

____Dean shook his head. "No it's not that bad, I just need some ice."_ _ _ _

____

____"Fine."_ _ _ _

____

____Castiel surprised Dean when he didn't turn to bring him home. Instead, Castiel pulled into the driveway in front of a yellow two-story house._ _ _ _

____

____"This is my place," Castiel announced._ _ _ _

____

____Dean began to protest, saying that he could just go home and take care of himself, but Castiel hushed him._ _ _ _

____

____"Come on, it's fine. No one else is home so it's just you and me."_ _ _ _

____

____They make their way into the house and Castiel led Dean upstairs. Looking around, Dean noticed a lot of warm reds and oranges and yellows mixed masterfully with cool greens, blues, and purples throughout the various rooms. It was so colorful and homey and Dean relaxed a little._ _ _ _

____

____They stopped in front of a door and Castiel opened it to reveal what must be his bedroom._ _ _ _

____

____"Oh, I can just go on the couch. Here I'll just-" Castiel cut Dean off._ _ _ _

____

____"Dean you're going to get in that bed and sit down while I get ice. It's much comfier than the couch. Plus why would I bring you upstairs just to send you back down?"_ _ _ _

____

____Dean complied and allowed Castiel to help him lie down on the bed. When he was satisfied, Castiel left to go find ice._ _ _ _

____

____He dug around in the freezer and pulled out two ice packs and then turned to pull a glass from the cupboard. Turning the tap to cold, he quickly filled it up and headed back upstairs to the room he left Dean in._ _ _ _

____

____When he returned, he found Dean fast asleep. Castiel smiled to himself and put the glass of water on his bedside table. He carefully placed the ice packs on Deans ankle._ _ _ _

____

____Grabbing a book off his overflowing shelf, Castiel sat down in his big comfy chair. He didn't open the book right away and instead watched Dean. For the first time since he met him, he looked peaceful and at ease. So different from his usual rigid exterior._ _ _ _

____

____Castiel settled back in his chair and opened the book. After a while, he heard a noise and put the book down. Dean was awake again._ _ _ _

____

____Dean looked around in a panic for a few moments before he remembered what happened. "How long was I out?" he asked._ _ _ _

____

____"About an hour." Castiel got up and walked over to the bed. He handed the glass of water to Dean, who took it gratefully and began drinking. "How are you feeling?"_ _ _ _

____

____Dean placed the now empty glass back on the nightstand. "Better now." he shuffled around on the bed uncomfortably. "Thanks."_ _ _ _

____

____Castiel smiled down at him. "No problem." Dean watched as he suddenly made a face, almost as though he had remembered something important. "I'll be right back."_ _ _ _

____

____He rushed out of the room and into the bathroom down the hall. When he came back, Dean could see he was holding a wet towel in his hand. Castiel moved over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Dean._ _ _ _

____

____Dean tried to protest. "Castiel, you really don't have to. You've done more than enough for me already."_ _ _ _

____

____Castiel shook his head and lifted the wet towel. "Hush, I'll need practice taking care of people if I'm going to be a doctor, won't I?" Dean rolled his eyes at Castiel's answer but stopped his attempted protests._ _ _ _

____

____Satisfied, Castiel leaned closer and began wiping the blood off Dean's face. Just like last time, as he became more focused, he started to lean closer and closer. And just like the last time, neither one of them paid any attention to it until their noses were almost touching._ _ _ _

____

____Deans breath caught in his throat and Castiel's eyes widened, but neither of them tried to move away._ _ _ _

____

____Deans heart was thumping out of his chest and he was afraid Castiel could hear it. His eyes flicked down to the blue-eyed boy's lips before quickly returning back to his eyes._ _ _ _

____

____His eyes. Dean realized in that moment he had never seen eyes quite like them. They were a stunning shade of blue and in that moment he truly believed he could drown in them quicker then he could ever drown in any of the blue waters that covered seventy-five percent of the earth._ _ _ _

____

____Castiel hand stopped its movements and he stared back at Dean's brilliantly green eyes with a look of curiosity._ _ _ _

____

_What am I doing?_ Dean thought to himself. _What's wrong with me?_

____

________Dean ripped his eyes from Castiel's face and looked down at the floor. Castiel cleared his throat and shifted further from Dean._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________After a few moments of incredibly awkward silence, Castiel reached out and turned Dean's face back towards him. Deans was about to move away from his touch when he noticed Castiel lifting the washcloth. As quick as possible, Castiel wiped the last bit of blood and dirt off of Dean's face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________There were a few more moments of heavy silence before Dean spoke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"Look, Cas, thanks for helping me out. I'm sorry that I called you like that and you had to drive to get me and then clean up my mess."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Castiel shook his head. "Dean, it's not a problem, I mean we're friends, right? That's the kind of thing friends do for each other."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Dean smiled. "Yeah, we're friends." the word felt foreign on his tongue. He wasn't used to having people outside of his family show any sort of liking towards him. Sometimes, he wasn't even sure if his family liked him. But here was this boy he met by chance telling him they were friends. He didn't want to lose him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Castiel glanced at his clock. "Hey it's starting to get kind of late and you're still not a hundred percent, wanna just spend the night here?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Dean's eyes shot back up to Castiel's face. He looked sincere. "Yeah, sure."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________It was Castiel's turn to smile. "Okay cool. Let's watch a movie." he stood and walked over to the small TV across from his bed. Dean saw him take out a DVD and put it in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"What movie is that?" Dean asked. Castiel smirked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"It's a surprise."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Castiel walked back over and sat down on the other side of the bed. The movie started up and when Dean saw what the title was he raises his eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"Pretty Woman?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Castiel reached out and hit him playfully. "Shut up. Don't judge it yet."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Dean shook his head and leaned back on the bed, resting against Castiel's mountain of pillows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"How do you sleep with so many pillows?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Castiel looked over at Dean. "Well, I don't sleep _on_ them. I just like to have them there." 

____

________The movie played. Dean hated to admit it, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He looked over and watched Castiel. His gaze was focused on the screen. Every now and then he mouthed along to the lines being said. Dean noticed the two of them seemed to have subconsciously shifted closer to each other, but he didn't move away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________The movie played. They had gotten closer now, almost touching. Dean didn't know how it happened. He didn't remember moving or seeing Cas move. He looked back over at the boy beside him. He looked exhausted. Like he was barely hanging on to the line keeping him awake._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________The movie played. They were pressed against each other now. Dean swore he never moved an inch. Castiel now had his head on Dean's shoulder. He was basically completely asleep, jerking awake every now and then only to drift back out of consciousness. Dean looked down at him. He looked so peaceful. Almost angelic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________The movie played, but neither of the boys was watching it. Dean had fallen asleep, his head rested against Castiel's._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________The world continued to turn and lives went on, but in that moment, nothing could touch them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________A few hours later, Dean woke up with a start. He glanced around the room in a momentary panic before he remembered where he was. He noticed that his head was still rested on Castiel's and that Castiel's head was on his shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________The full memory of what happened washed over him and he realized he never told Sam where he was. Sam, who was home alone and might be worried. Dean tried to think. He didn't have his car, but Castiel's house wasn't too far from his own so he decided he would walk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________With his brain still clouded with sleep, he moved slowly, trying not to wake Castiel. He looked around for paper and a pen and scribbled a quick note explaining where he was going. He walked quietly back to the bed and looked down at Castiel for a brief moment. Smiling, Dean placed the note next to Castiel and was about to start the walk home when a hand reached out and grabbed his arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________He looked back down and noticed that Castiel was no longer asleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"Where are you going?" Castiel's voice was slurring, thick with sleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"I need to get home, Sam's there all alone." Dean was still a little delirious from sleep and Castiel's touch sent warm shocks up his arm making him even woozier._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Castiel rolled over so he could see Dean easier. His head tilted and Dean suddenly felt like he was being observed under a microscope._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"Sam seems like a tough kid. I'm sure he's okay. Also, phones are a great and convenient invention." Dean rolled his eyes at that last comment, but he took out his phone and sent Sam a quick text explaining where he was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"I'll drive you home when it's not this ungodly hour. Now come on, go back to sleep." Castiel patted the bed next to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________"Okay," Was all Dean said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

________Still stuck in the drug like state of sleep, Dean laid back down next to Castiel. They weren't as close as they had been before, but they were laying facing towards each other. Dean watched as the other boy's eyes shut and his breathing evened out and felt his own eyes drag him down into a deep sleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Evak feels are strong with this one.


End file.
